Latch for vehicle-doors.



NLR. HULL.

LATCH FOR VEHICLE DO'GRS.

APPLICATloN HLED JUNE 21.1915v 1,154,398., Patented Sept. 21, 1915 E' '.1.

MATTHEW R. HULL, DE' CNNERSVILLE, NDIANA, .SSIGNOE TG REX BUGGY' C'MPNY,

F CONNERSVILLE, INEIANA, A CORPORATiEON F INDIANA.

LATCH FOR VEHICLE-DODRS.

l Specification of Letters Eatent.

rateneea see-a ai, asia Application mea June ai, 1915. serial nu; saaie To all wzom it may concern:

Be it linown'that l, MA'r'rHnw R. HULL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Connersville, in the county of Fayette and State` of Indiana, have invented certain new and uiul improvements' in Latohes for Vehicle-Doors, of which the following is a speciiczrtione i This invention relates to improvements in closed bodies for passenger vehicles, and has particular application to removable or sedan tops for automobiles wherein the upper and removable portions of the doors, 'that-is, those portions of the doors which belong to and come oli' with the ,removable top are frequently and in tact are generally in different planes trom their lower portions, and the object bf the invention is to connect the upper and-lower door members adjacentl their outer edges with a single latch which is operated by a single handle on the outside of the car;to make such connections adjustable whereby the two door-members may move dillerently without interference from said latch-mechanism, and to hold the latter elastically together .with the latch spring to prevent rattling. l accomplish the above and other object which will hereinafter appear bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- V y I' Figure 1 is a side elevation of themajor portion of an automobile body with a 'rel movable top, embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an inside view on a larger scale of the doors shown in Fig. 1, adjacent the latchmechanism which is alsov shown, and Fig. 3 is an edge-view 'of the door members of'Fig. 2 with the .latch members in corresponding relation. ,v

Like characters of reference indicate Vlike parts throughout the several views of the drawing The permanent body '4e is provided with a 'door 5 which is hinged thereto and is kept closed by a`l'atch of usual construction comprising a bolt 6 shot out by a spring 7 and retracted by a lever 8 having a handle 9 accessible only from within the body. The equipment thus far is old and welllknown. Removably secured to the body 4t is the sedan top 9 having a door-member 10 which v registers with the door 5. and forms, an upper extension thereof, the part being what l designate herein as the lower door-member and the part 10 as the upper door-member.

To 'the inside of the-upper door-member 10 I pivotally secure a bent lever 11, at its up per end. |The lower end of the lever is eX- panded and provided withpa slot 12 through which the'handle 9 is passed. llhe latch bolt is retracted by swinging the lever inwardly or toward the hinges of the doormembers and can be accomplished by linside passengers by direct manipulation of the lever.. To operate the latch from the outside l pass a rock-shaft 13 through the' door 5, on the outer end of which is a handle 14,.

and onthe inner end a plate 15 having a cam-face'rnv contact with the lever. This cam-face is preferably. channeled. to receive the 4lever which is held constantly against the cam bythe action of the latch-spring 7. Lost motion 'and rattling is thereby prevented. l'lhe bend in the lever 11 is to bring the pivoted end. over for attachment to the solid ,sash or frame of the door.:

Where the angular relation of the planes of the upper and lower `door members vary so as to make their .separation excessive upon opening, thereby-requiring a correspondinglv long slot in the lower end of the levenil form the latter without expanding and slotting its lower end and simply pass the alower end of the lever down between the cam and handle 9.

Having thus jl'ul ly described my invention,

what l claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is- 1. A vehicle door in twov transversely divided members, a latch on the .lower member comprising a bolt, a spring to shoot the bolt,

and a lever to withdraw the bolt, in ycombination with a lever pivoted at its upper endv tothe upper door-member and engaging said -rst lever below, a cam against which said last lever is held by said latch-spring and manually operated means to rock the cam.

2. A vehicle door in two transversely divided members, a latch on the lower member comprising a bolt, a spring to shoot the bolt and a lever to withdraw the bolt said lever c lower end with the lateral projection of tbe first lever andbearing against said cam.

3. A vehicle door in e plurality of transversely divided members, e latch on the lowest member comprising e. bolt, ay spring .pressing the bolt normally to :i shot position7 and a lever to reti'ztct tl1o bolt having a lateral pioJeotion at its end remote from the bolt, 1n combination with a` cem on the 11iside of the door, means to rotate the cam from the outeil sill of the door and a lever pivoted to the top member of the door and :emesse bearing against the cam and slotted at its lower end, the lateral projection of the Erst lever passing through the slot in the second. lever. v

In Witness whereof, L have hereunto set my hand and seal et Conneisville, ndiana, this 14th day of J une, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and fifteen.

MATTHEW R. HULL. [ne] Witnesses:

ELLIS W. RYAN, RAYMOND H. CRAWFORD. 

